Seton Hall’s Keon Lawrence To Be Activated From Suspension Dec. 19

SOUTH ORANGE – Seton Hall announced yesterday that junior guard Keon Lawrence (Newark, N.J.) will be activated from suspension and will return to the men’s basketball team upon the completion of the current academic semester. Lawrence, who has already missed the team’s first five games, will play for the first time this season on Saturday, December 19 when the Pirates host Temple University.

Lawrence was suspended indefinitely on November 9 following his involvement in a car accident on the Garden State Parkway. He has completed the University’s disciplinary process. His activation comes with necessary conditions and sanctions that may not be disclosed by the University under student privacy laws.

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“Mr. Lawrence is also subject to an external legal process, which will determine the outcome of the motor vehicle citations he received,” said Law School Dean Patrick E. Hobbs, who is overseeing the Department of Athletics this year. “Athletics Director Joe Quinlan and I have decided to allow Mr. Lawrence to return to the men’s basketball team. Upon the conclusion of the external legal process, the University will decide whether any additional sanction is required.”

Lawrence transferred to Seton Hall from the University of Missouri following the 2007-08 season and sat out last season due to NCAA transfer regulations.

“I want to be clear that I am disappointed by Keon’s terrible lack of judgment in this matter,” said head coach Bobby Gonzalez. “He has let a lot of people down, but it’s also important to note that he is filled with regret and remorse. He is still a part of our family and I hope in time we can all heal from this.”

Lawrence won’t be the only Pirate starting his season on Dec. 19. Junior Jeff Robinson, a transfer from the University of Memphis, will also see his first action in a Seton Hall uniform against Temple.